Second Conflict in Water for Elephants

More conflicts Jacob Jankowski encounters in Water for Elephants have to do with his parents’ deaths. One day during class, Dean Wilkins, a dean at Cornell, tells Jacob “Son, there was an accident… It was instant. There was nothing they could do” (Gruen 16). Immediately after he discovers his parents are dead, he is asked by the police superintendent to go to the coroner to identify his parents’ bodies. First Jacob had to find out that he’d never see his parents again, then he is forced to see his dead, bloody, torn apart parents. This brings Jacob immense grief, and complete inner conflict. Even after he runs away to the circus, he is unable to talk about his parents at all, or his past life for that matter. When asked about where he’s from, Jacob responds “Nowhere…for Christ’s sake would you just leave me alone?” (Gruen 144). He cannot deal with the demons of his past, and this tears him apart.

While little good came from the death of Jacob’s parents, Jacob did learn some important things about himself. First, he learned how much he values family. This situation truly shows how people can’t appreciate what they have until it’s gone. His appreciation of family is shown again when he is 93 and in a nursing home. He thinks of his dead wife, Marlena: “Dear Lord, how I miss that woman” (108). Also, Jacob discovered an angry side of himself that needed to be controlled. He unconsciously makes an effort to distract himself by jumping on a mysterious train (Gruen 24). Little does he know, this train is for Flying Squadron of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a circus show. Not only does this help him recover from his parents’ death, but it puts his life on a whole new path, teaching him the wonders of circus life.